Important Questions to Ask Yourself When Ordering Custom Adhesives

Working with adhesive technologysuppliers can open up a world of opportunities for business in a variety of industries. Nevertheless, it isn’t quite as simple as expecting the service provider to take over and do everything on your behalf. They can certainly offer comprehensive consultancy and provide outstanding products, but there’s also an important role for the customer to play.

It’s typically true to say that when a business orders custom adhesive products of any kind, they intend to use them for important purpose. The specific purpose will of course vary significantly from one business to the next, but custom adhesives are only usually ordered when there is something important to take care of. As such, it simply makes sense to make all necessary efforts to get it right the first time around.

So with this in mind, what follows is a brief overview of just a few of the most important questions to ask yourself, before going ahead and placing such an order:

1. What materials am I joining?

First of all, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is that of making assumptions with regard to compatible materials. The simple fact of the matter is that while any given adhesive may be outstanding when used with any number of materials, it may be entirely redundant with others. Even where two materials may be relatively similar, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the adhesive will react in the same way with both. As such, you need to think very carefully about the materials you intend to join and ensure that the adhesive you order is compatible.

2. What kind of bond do I need?

In terms of the bond itself, there are various considerations to take into account. For example, are you looking for a bond that is flawlessly strong and rock solid, or one that is somewhat flexible? Do you need the bond to be permanent in nature, or perhaps removable at a later stage without leaving behind any sticky residue? The beauty of ordering custom adhesive products is that you get to take control of all of the key properties the product delivers. Think carefully about the kind of bond you need and be as specific as possible.

3. In what environment will it be used?

The atmospheric conditions in the space in which the adhesive will be used will also play a key role in determining its effectiveness and appropriateness. For example, if you work in an environment that is particularly hot and/or humid, the vast majority of standard adhesive products are probably not going to be suitable. The unique properties of the adhesive you order will determine whether or not it is suitable for the environment in which it is to be used. So once again, you need to think carefully about how and where the adhesive is going to be used, in order to bring this to the attention of those designing your ideal adhesive product.

4. What about health and safety?

In terms of health and safety, adhesive products can be anything from comprehensively safe to handle to downright dangerous. Once again, it all comes down to both your unique requirements and the location in which the adhesives are going to be used. Nevertheless, it is important never to overlook or take health and safety for granted, given the way in which custom adhesives differ so enormously from one to the next.

5. Is the manufacturer reputable?

It’s also extremely important to ensure that you work with a reputable manufacturer from start to finish. The reason being that if the manufacturer you choose is in any way substandard, you can only realistically expect substandard results. By contrast, to work with a leading provider with a solid reputation from day one is to stand every chance of being supplied with a flawless custom adhesive.

6. How much will I need?

Last but not least, if you are going to need a lot of the adhesive product in question are over time, it is in your best interests to consider placing a bulk or repeat order. The reason being that no matter who you work with, chances are you will save a lot of money by ordering or buying more. By contrast, purchasing custom adhesive product on something of an ad hoc basis as and when required almost always means paying more than necessary.